1st class salad

[Gloss]ary

I think it’s quite uneasy to find a proper way to talk about fashion ( professionally speaking). Many scholars tend to theorize fashion converting it in intellectual stuff. On the other hand, notorious fashionistas around the world prefer to display fashion rather than talking about it. As the world of fashion is neither too serious, nor completely superficial, how should we approach it?

Danilo Venturi, the author of Luxury Hackers has a  particular take on fashion. He constantly plays with the fashion terminology and I’m sure he’s having fun dissecting, connecting or inventing words. The text becomes alive, juicy and ironic, as it should be. Recently, he put these terms together for some kind of fashion glossary. And, no kidding, it really makes sense. Check out:

[organ]ism

ani[male]

[skull]pture

re-pulsion

cruci[fiction]

apoca[lipstick]

vanish-ment

birthday twice a year

biverse: dual universe

Helmut Langue [et Parole]

Céline and sell-out

Pra[v]da

pre-tend

b[r]and on tour

fashion un-fair

leather goods [and leather bads]

[bitch]wear

Indian gothic

from Newton to new[tone]

lesbian men

men[swear]

brand [menage]ment

international [deep-art]ment

be-fore-casting

Lond-on and Lond-off

blondine and blond-out

fake-boobism and mini-skirtism

modern-ism and modern-wasm

stop and st-art

re-fuse

the ancient G[r]eeks

Renai[chance]

Louis Vuit[town]

to be cured [or curated]

[im]pressed forever

Chan[n]el n.5

authenti[city]

archi[textures]

to not for-get


The Wreath of Flowers

How to wear a wreath of flowers?

Lana del Rey vs. Comme des Garcons

The Skin We Live In

The scene from the Sistine Chapel versus the image from an editorial in Exhibition (#2,the “Leather” issue).

 

Bernhard Wilhelm

There’s always a sense of playfulness, tones of energy and humour in Bernhard Willhelm‘s collections. I don’t know if you’re as enthusiastic with Willhelm’s style as I am, but you have to admit he’s one of a kind that does not look back to go forward. The fashionable rules are important to Wilhelm as they give him an opportunity to break them all.  He’s prefers the improvised to the artificial, he loves bright colors and creative accessories when everybody avoids them, he’s spontaneous while the others choose to be reasonable. And, at the end of the day, he makes real clothes for real people. For me, Willhelm’s work is not childish or naive, but just a warm approach to fashion. Apart from the fantastic mess from his Fall 2012 collection (he always do a fashionable mess), he added some creative make-ups. Fashion is all about tricks, isn’t it?

images via elle.com , stylebistro.com

Fashion Goes Crazy

Fashion may be frivolous or wise, it may be expensive or cheap, could be serious or silly. But certainly it’s fun!

Steven Meisel created these animated gifs, as a preview for Vogue Italia’s March issue. The “Haute Mess” above is featuring some famous models: Joan Smalls, Coco Rocha and Abbey Lee Kershaw. But, of course, you won’t recognize them.

image source: vogue.it

Lagerfeld vs. Lagerfeld

Sometime in the early 60s, the Argentinian author J.L.Borges had published a short story entitled “Borges and I“. In doing so, he introduced the concept of Self as being separate from the public persona perceived by readers through his works. That’s an inspired technique he used often along his entire work, which also allowed him to take a critical attitude towards himself, referring at Borges as somebody who “has put together some decent passages, yet these passages cannot save me.”

There’s always a sense of modesty and self irony in Borges’ writings. We cannot say the same thing about Karl. However, watching Karl Lagerfeld’s recent interview, released for Net-A-Porter, I felt something different and unexpected. The 78 years old designer talks to himself. So, for the first time (and the last time, as he claims) it’s Lagerfeld vs. Lagerfeld. Enjoy!

 

Not Just Another Fashionable Queen

I’ve always wondered if fashion is (or should be considered as) an application of design or it is more a matter of style. Of course, many fashion designers are primarily preoccupied to redefine style and the way we should look at a fashionable mood or a human silhouette, others are trying to shape the body through their brand new design objects. But, after all, clothes always tell new stories, there’s only the designer’s approach that makes the difference. Fashion  can turn fantastically figurative or poetically abstract, could be a matter of taste or style, or a challenge at the structural level.

Laura Vargalui is a Romanian stylist turned designer, and she’s damn good at telling stories! I mean she really knows how to use the power of the story to shape her fashion discourse. She did her best with Sophia de Romania, her new fashion label. Here are the images of some stunning outfits made from mats and rugs, so you can get a glimpse of all her superb mess. With Sophia De Romania, Laura speaks to contemporary emancipated women, to those who feel the urge to reveal that particular queen dwelling inside. To those endowed with fantasy, humor and a strong attitude. Enjoy!

Lookbook & catwalk pictures: Sophia De Romania/ designer: Laura Vargalui/ photographs: Corina Olaru/
models: Ana Maria Gheorghe,Ada Musat,Maria Mora,Paul Dunca/ make-up: Nicoleta Timus/ hair: Geta Voinea;
assistent hair:Alex Bratu/ accessories: Cosima Opartan.